Disruption warning as hospital roadworks to start

The public has been warned of months of disruption when work to prepare for a hospital's redevelopment gets under way.

Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Cheshire, is set to be rebuilt by Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (MCHT) at an estimated cost of between £1bn and £1.5bn.

The scheme's announcement in 2020 followed concerns over the state of the site, much of which was constructed using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) - a less durable alternative to concrete which has sparked safety fears in recent years.

As part of the preparatory work, the trust said high-voltage electrical cabling needed to be installed.

The work, which will be carried out between June and October, will affect the following roads in Crewe:

• Brian Palin Way – closed 6 June to 3 July
• Tottys Hall Way – two-way traffic lights from 30 June to 25 July
• Tottys Hall Way – single-file traffic roundabout from 21 July to 27 July
• Bob Brown Way – closure from Tottys Lane Road roundabout to Flowers Lane roundabout from 28 July to 17 August.
• Flowers Lane – closed from Bob Brown Way roundabout to Bradfield Road roundabout from 18 August to 26 August.
• Flowers Lane – closed from Middlewich Road roundabout to Leighton Hospital's staff car park from 8 September to 31 October.

Russ Favager, of MCHT, said the trust "sincerely apologised" for the disruption and inconvenience the work would cause.

"This preparatory infrastructure programme is a vital early stage in delivering one of the largest and transformational health projects seen in Cheshire for decades," he added.

Bosses previously said the rebuilt site would provide the most digitally advanced hospital in the UK, while an extra 50 beds would be added, taking the hospital's total to 600.

A planning application for the redevelopment is set to be submitted this year, with work potentially starting in 2027.

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